CH710200B1 - Watch bezel for musical watch. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a bezel (1) for a musical watch, as well as a lens-bezel assembly, a box (10) and a musical watch. The telescope (1) directly carries a stamp (6) or constitutes a stamp (6). The bezel (1) comprises, according to one embodiment, a ring receiving a watch crystal (2), and a lug (11) perpendicular to the plane of said ring comprising means for fixing to a structure. The box (10) carries such a bezel (1) in indirect support on a main surface of a middle part (4) by means of a first O-ring seal (51), said middle part (4) and said telescope (1) being held integrally in a position where, in the free state of said telescope (1) in the absence of overpressure, said telescope (1) is distant from said main surface by a value corresponding to a predetermined clearance and not zero. The watch may be a musical watch, a striking watch, an alarm clock, or the like.

Description

Description Field of the invention [0001] The invention relates to a watch bezel for a musical watch comprising at least one stamp.

The invention also relates to a window-glass assembly comprising such a window.

The invention also relates to a musical watch case comprising such an assembly comprising at least one stamp and comprising a middle part which comprises a main receiving surface and a lower receiving surface.

The invention also relates to a musical watch comprising such a box.

The invention relates to the field of dressing of watches, and, more particularly, movement boxes comprising a sound display mechanism such as ringing, alarm clock, music box, or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a musical or striking watch, the acoustic level is a constant concern, since it is a question of ensuring an audible signal of sufficient intensity to be well perceived by the user. , while ensuring purity of sound at the level of this complication.

The acoustic level can be improved by the use of additional covering elements. The frequency content of the sound produced by a striking watch must be rich in a frequency interval between 1 kHz and 6 kHz.

Traditional covering elements do not allow effective radiation in this band, while radiation at higher frequency, typically at more than 6 kHz, generally does not pose any problems.

A radiating element may be able to radiate in the 1-6 kHz frequency band only if very strict geometric and dimensional constraints are met, and in particular a low rigidity and / or a thin thickness, or even the presence of perforated surfaces.

These constraints are generally in contradiction with the rules of mechanical watchmaking, which aim to guarantee the tightness, in particular to dust and water, and the mechanical resistance of a watch to shocks and pressures important external, due, for example, to a great depth immersion, so as to ensure the maintenance and protection of the watch movement.

There are known solutions aimed at directly integrating sound generation elements into the covering components, to facilitate the transmission of vibrations. However, these solutions can only bring a slight improvement if these covering components are not free to vibrate according to their own modes.

Patent EP 2 367 079 B1 from the same applicant describes a solution aimed at allowing the free vibration of the ice according to its own modes of vibration. This solution is acoustically effective, but of delicate realization and requiring highly qualified personnel. The first vibrations of the ice (of lower frequency) correspond to a source of its dipole, which is effective especially above 5 kHz.

Summary of the invention The invention proposes to further improve the frequency response.

The invention improves the acoustic level of a musical watch, in particular on the frequency band from 1 to 6 kHz, while ensuring, on the one hand, a simple and tight assembly of the lens-bezel assembly, and d on the other hand very good impact resistance. The invention provides a mechanism which allows an integrated assembly, formed by the bezel and the upper glass, to vibrate freely according to its own proper modes, acoustically effective.

To this end, the invention relates to a watch bezel for a musical watch comprising at least one stamp, characterized in that said bezel is arranged to directly carry at least one said stamp or constitutes at least one said stamp.

According to a characteristic of the invention, said bezel comprises a ring comprising a receiving surface arranged to receive a watch crystal, and comprises at least one tab extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of said ring and on the side of said opposite ring on the carrier side of said receiving surface, said at least one tab comprising, at a solid distal end, a distal support face arranged to cooperate in abutment support on a structure, and fixing means arranged for the rigid fixing of said at least one tab by its said distal bearing face on a structure.

According to a characteristic of the invention, each said tab comprises, between said ring and said massive distal end, an elastic middle blade, more flexible than said massive distal end, said blade extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said ring.

The invention also relates to a window-glass assembly comprising such a window, characterized in that said window-glass assembly comprises a glass bearing on a receiving surface which comprises said window, and a

CH 710 200 B1 second O-ring seal between said lens and said lens, and in that said lens-lens assembly carries at least one stamp.

The invention also relates to a musical watch box comprising such an assembly comprising at least one stamp and comprising a middle part which comprises a main receiving surface and a lower receiving surface, characterized in that said watch box carries, or else such a bezel carrying at least one stamp, or else such a lens-bezel assembly, with said bezel in indirect support on said main receiving surface by means of a first O-ring seal, and in that said middle and said bezel are held together by the cooperation of fixing means that comprises said bezel and complementary fixing means that comprises said middle, in a position where, in the free state of said bezel in the absence of other pressure than atmospheric pressure, said telescope is distant from said main receiving surface by a value corresponding to a je u predetermined and not zero.

The invention also relates to a musical watch comprising such a box.

Brief description of the drawings [0021] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, with reference to the accompanying drawings, where:

fig. 1A and 1B show, schematically and in perspective from above and below, a musical watch bezel according to the invention;

fig. 2A shows, schematically, partially and in section, and with two details in magnifying glass in FIG. 2B and 2C, a musical watch case comprising a glass-bezel assembly according to the invention;

fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating, as a function of the frequency on the abscissa, on the ordinate the axial acceleration of the ice during a harmonic vibration for a covering with a conventional telescope (in dotted line) and for the glass-telescope assembly with disconnected telescope according to the invention (solid line);

fig. 4 is a block diagram representing a musical watch fitted with a box according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention relates to the field of dressing of watches, and, more particularly, boxes for movements comprising a sound display mechanism such as ringing, alarm clock, music box, or similar.

The following are called indifferently "musical watch" watches equipped with any type of sound display.

These sound display mechanisms include one or more vibrating and resonant elements, such as timbres, gongs, bells, blades, keyboards. The present description generalizes under the name of “timbre” such a vibrating and resonant element.

Conventionally, a watch case 10 has a middle part 4 which carries one or more stamps 6, a bezel 1 is assembled on the middle part 4, and serves as a support for a lens 2 which transmits the sound vibration towards the outdoor environment.

The invention relates to a watch bezel 1 for musical watch 100 comprising at least one stamp 6. According to the invention, the bezel 1 is designed to directly carry at least one such stamp 6, or constitutes at least one such stamp 6. To improve the acoustic performance, the watch bezel 1 thus directly carries at least one stamp 6, and preferably all of the stamps constituting the sound display means.

In a particular embodiment, the bezel is produced in one piece with at least one stamp. More particularly, the bezel 1 is in one piece with all the stamps 6 that a musical watch 100 includes.

In a particular embodiment, the bezel 1 comprises at least one flange 14 for the direct attachment of such a stamp 6.

In a particular embodiment, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 2C, the bezel 1 comprises a ring 18 comprising a reception surface 19 arranged to receive a watch crystal 2.

This ring 18 has at least one tab 11 which extends substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ring 18, and on the side of the ring 18 opposite the carrier side of the receiving surface 19.

This at least one tab 11 has, at a massive distal end 13, at least one bearing face 15, in particular but not limited to a distal bearing face, which is arranged to cooperate in abutment support on a structure, in particular a middle part 4, and fixing means 17, such as a thread, arranged for the rigid fixing of the at least one tab 11 by its at least one bearing face 15 on a structure. This rigid attachment is combined with a support or a pinch. In particular, such a tab 11 can be sandwiched laterally, and many

CH 710 200 B1 nude firmly in this position. The fixing means 17 are designed to cooperate with complementary fixing means 47, such as a screw visible in FIG. 2C.

More generally, this at least one tab 11 has at least one abutment support face.

Preferably, the telescope 1 comprises a plurality of such tabs 11 extending in directions substantially parallel to each other and having support faces 15 which are parallel or coplanar.

In the particular and non-limiting variant illustrated by the figures, the telescope 1 has three said lugs 11 extending in directions parallel to each other and having distal support faces 15 coplanar.

Advantageously, each said tab 11 comprises, between the ring 18 and its massive distal end 13, an elastic middle blade 12, more flexible than the massive distal end 13, this blade 12 extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the ring 18.

Preferably, the telescope 1 comprises, on the side of the ring 18 opposite the carrier side of the receiving surface 19, a main bearing surface 150 which is arranged to cooperate in abutment bearing with a structure, in particular a middle part 4, and an O-ring groove 151 in which is housed a first O-ring seal 51.

This first O-ring seal 51 is protruding with respect to the main bearing surface 150 or at least tangent with it, on the side of the ring 18 opposite the carrier side of the receiving surface 19, in all the crushing positions of the first O-ring seal 51.

In a variant, the first O-ring seal 51 is replaced or completed by an elastic membrane, or even by a plate with holes of micrometric size.

Advantageously, the bezel is made of a gold or / and platinum alloy. It can also be made of bronze, of titanium alloy, or in certain grades of stainless steel.

The invention also relates to a window-glass assembly 3 comprising such a window 1. This window-glass assembly 3 comprises a glass 2 bearing on a receiving surface 19 that comprises the window 1, and a second O-ring d seal 52, or an elastic membrane, or a plate with micrometric size holes, between the lens 1 and the lens 2, and this lens-lens assembly 3 carries at least one stamp 6. This lens-lens assembly 3 is perfectly autonomous, and only carries the radiating element, in particular a stamp 6.

The invention also relates to a musical watch box 10 comprising at least one stamp 6 and comprising a middle part 4.

This middle part 4 has a main receiving surface 40 and a lower receiving surface 45, which is arranged to cooperate in abutment abutment with the distal support face or faces 15 of the tabs 11.

The watch case 10 wears, either such a bezel 1 carrying at least one stamp 6, or else such an ice-bezel assembly 3, with the bezel 1 in indirect support on the main receiving surface 40 by the through a first O-ring seal 51.

And the middle part 4 and the bezel 1 are held together by the cooperation of fastening means 17 that includes the bezel 1 and complementary fastening means 47 that includes the middle part 4, in a position where, in the free state of the telescope 1 in the absence of any pressure other than atmospheric pressure, the telescope 1 is distant from the main receiving surface 40 by a value corresponding to a predetermined clearance J and not zero.

Preferably, the bezel 1 has at least one such tab 11, which tab 11 has a resilient middle blade 12.

And lejeu J is calculated as a function of the maximum overpressure provided for the telescope 1 so that, in the event of maximum overpressure on the telescope 1 or in the event of an impact, each such middle blade 12 remains in the area of elastic deformation, under the effect of a direct support between the telescope 1 and the main receiving surface 40 during the complete crushing of the first O-ring seal 51, thus preventing any irreversible plastic deformation of the middle blade 12.

The invention also relates to a musical watch 100 comprising such a box 10.

In the innovative construction proposed, the upper glass 2 is driven into the bezel 1, or bonded to a receiving surface 19 of the bezel 1, or else cared for, in particular in the traditional way. The bezel 1 is then screwed to the middle part 4 by means of at least one lug 11. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the telescope has three tabs 11. In a particular embodiment, the lens-spectacle assembly 3 is in one piece. In a particular embodiment, the glass-bezel assembly 3 is made of sapphire.

Compared to a conventional glass-bezel system completely secured to the box by a connection around the entire periphery of the bezel, the fixing produced by three tabs 11 is here called "disconnected", and makes it possible to:

- lower the natural frequencies of the mechanical assembly secured to the lens-telescope 3;

- select eigen vibration modes almost mono-polar, that is to say corresponding to a concordant vibration of the entire surface of the ice 2.

CH 710 200 B1 The number of legs 11, their thicknesses and their lengths and the constituent materials are parameters which make it possible to modify the frequency band of effective radiation of the system.

In a particular embodiment, the bezel 1 has a flange 14 on which is fixed the stamp 6, or the vibration generating element of a striking watch (for example, the stamps of a repetition- minutes or a keyboard of a musical watch), which guarantees an optimal vibration transfer between the vibration source and the radiating element, without the joining of the vibration source does not affect the vibration modes of the glass assembly- Bezel 3. In fact, from a vibratory point of view, the lens-bezel assembly 3 is almost decoupled from the rest of the covering, which therefore remains almost immobile during the vibration of the lens-bezel assembly. 3.

Unlike a telescope or radiant glass system or a traditional system, for which the radiant vibration is ensured by the individual vibration of the glass, which therefore plays the double role of reactance (return spring) and mechanical impedance (inertia), for the disconnected lens-bezel assembly which is the subject of the present invention, the role of return spring is played by the lugs 11 for fixing the bezel 1, while the lens 2 plays only the inertia role of the mechanical system: its piston-type movement creates a mono-polar acoustic source, and makes it possible to generate a very effective acoustic wave in terms of sound perception.

[0055] FIG. 2 represents the assembly of the bezel 1, said to be detached, from the middle part 4.

The clearance J between the bezel and the middle part is an essential characteristic of the invention, and is necessary to guarantee the complete mobility of the bezel 1. This clearance J is also dimensioned so that in the event of extreme shocks, the bezel 1 rests on the periphery of the middle part 4, to prevent the thin tabs 11 from deforming too much and plasticizing.

For this construction solution, the seal is ensured up to 3 bar, since the increase in the external pressure increases the adhesion of the walls of the bezel 1 and of the middle part 4 of the case 10 against the first O-ring seal 51.

[0058] FIG. 3 illustrates, as a function of the frequency, the axial acceleration of the glass 2 during a simulated harmonic vibration for a covering with standard glasses (in dotted line) and for the glass-glasses assembly 3 with glasses 1 separated according to l invention (solid line).

Finite element simulations make it possible to size the mechanical assembly secured to the lens-glass as well as the transfer of vibration between this system and the rest of the covering. Fig. 3 represents the frequency responses of the vibrational acceleration (outside the plane of the watch) of two skins composed on the one hand of a disconnected bezel 1 (in solid line) and on the other hand a standard bezel clipped onto the middle part ( in dotted lines). The two skins are similar in terms of size and impact resistance. According to this graph, the first proper mode of a covering consisting of a standard telescope has a frequency of 12 kHz. The one made up of a disconnected telescope 1 has its own modes in the frequency band between 2 and 10 kHz and in particular three frequencies where the ear sensitivity is maximum, above 2 kHz and below 6 kHz .

The covering comprising a window-glass assembly 3 with a separate window 1 has a vibratory response greater than that of a standard covering in the frequency band 2-10 kHz, which guarantees effective acoustic radiation from the ringing .

In addition, the presence of several resonances (peaks) allows the simultaneous tuning of several partials of a timbre or of several blades of a keyboard. On the other hand, this system vibrates less for frequencies above 13 kHz which is beneficial, because generally the noise generated by the striking mechanism has broadband components at very high frequencies: the glass-telescope assembly with uncoupled telescope is capable filter the noise of the mechanism and prevent its radiation.

The invention has many advantages:

- improvement of the acoustic level in the frequency band between 1 kHz and 6 kHz,

- possibility of defining the typology of the acoustic source, for example activation of a quasi-monopolar source of sound (vibration of the glass-telescope in piston mode),

- multi-part radiation,

- improvement of the vibration transfer between the vibration generating element and the radiating element. This solution makes it possible to fix the vibrating element directly on the radiating element, without affecting the vibration modes of the lens-glass,

- system allowing the watertightness of the musical watch to be preserved and ensuring sufficient mechanical resistance to prevent deterioration of the striking movement under external pressure,

- possibility of reducing the noise of the ringing mechanism composed of high frequencies (above 13 kHz),

- possibility of a monobloc realization.

Claims (10)

Claims 1. Watch bezel (1) for a musical watch (100) comprising at least one stamp (6), characterized in that said bezel (1) is arranged to directly carry at least one said stamp (6) or constitutes at least one said stamp (6), said telescope (1) comprising at least one flange (14) for the direct fixing of a said stamp (6), characterized in that CH 710 200 B1 that said bezel (1) comprises a ring (18) comprising a receiving surface (19) arranged to receive watch glass (2), and comprises at least one lug (11) extending substantially perpendicularly to the plane of said ring (18) and on the side of said ring (18) opposite to the carrier side of said receiving surface (19), said at least one tab (11) comprising, at the level of a massive distal end (13), at at least one bearing face (15) arranged to cooperate in abutment bearing on a structure, and fixing means (17) arranged for rigid fixing of said at least one tab (11) by its said at least one face d 'support (15) supported or pinched on the structure. 2. scope (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said scope (1) comprises a plurality of said lugs (11) extending in directions substantially parallel to each other and comprising said bearing faces ( 15) parallel or coplanar. 3. scope (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that said scope (1) comprises three said legs (11) extending in directions parallel to each other and comprising said distal bearing faces (15) coplanar. 4. Spectacle (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each said tab (11) comprises, between said ring (18) and said massive distal end (13), a median blade (12) elastic , more flexible than said massive distal end (13), said blade (12) extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of said ring (18). 5. scope (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said scope (1) comprises, on the side of said ring (18) opposite to the carrier side of said receiving surface (19), a main surface support (150) arranged to cooperate in abutment support with the structure, and an O-ring groove (151) in which is housed a first O-ring seal (51) which is projecting relative to said main bearing surface (150) or tangent with it, on the side of said ring (18) opposite the carrier side of said receiving surface (19), in all the crushing positions of said first O-ring seal (51). 6. Bezel (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said bezel (1) is made of a gold or / and platinum alloy. 7. lens-lens assembly (3) comprising a lens (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said lens-lens assembly (3) comprises a lens (2) bearing on the receiving surface (19 ) that includes said bezel (1), and a second O-ring seal (52) between said bezel (1) and said glass (2). 8. Musical watch case (10) comprising at least one stamp (6) and comprising a structure constituted by a middle part (4) which comprises a main receiving surface (40) and a lower receiving surface (45), characterized in what said watch case (10) carries, or else a bezel (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, or else a lens-bezel assembly (3) according to claim 7, with said bezel (1) in indirect support on said main receiving surface (40) by means of a first O-ring seal (51), and in that said middle part (4) and said bezel (1) are held together by the cooperation of fixing means (17) that comprises said bezel (1) and complementary fixing means (47) that comprises said middle part (4), in a position where, in the free state of said bezel (1) in the absence other pressure than atmospheric pressure, said telescope (1) is distant from said main receiving surface (40) having a value corresponding to a predetermined and non-zero clearance (J), and in that said lower receiving surface (45) is arranged to cooperate in abutment support with the face or faces d 'distal support (15) of the tabs (11) that comprises the telescope (1) or respectively the glass-telescope assembly (3). 9. Musical watch case (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one said lug (11) of said bezel (1) comprises an elastic middle blade (12), and in that said play (J ) is calculated as a function of the maximum overpressure provided on said bezel (1) so that, in the event of maximum overpressure on said bezel (1) or in the event of an impact, each said median blade (12) remains in the range of elastic deformation , under the effect of a direct support between said bezel (1) and said main receiving surface (40) during the complete crushing of said first O-ring seal (51), preventing any irreversible plastic deformation of said blade median (12). 10. Musical watch (100) comprising a musical watch box (10) according to claim 8 or 9.